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“Mindfuck?”
“Yes.” She reached for her glass and her hand trembled as she lifted it. “Addictive.”
He had a million more experiences for her, including a few they could start on tonight.
CHAPTER FIVE
“After you.” Rafe opened the door to his condominium. Hope hesitated for a fraction of a second. Everything else that had happened until now, she could excuse. Rafe and his overwhelming presence had swept her up in the moment. But coming home with him, after he’d said he planned to spank her?
“Hope?”
As always, patience radiated through his voice. If she told him that she’d changed her mind, he’d take her home and leave her there.
Which meant the problem wasn’t the powerful and seductive Rafe Sterling. It was her. Clients had asked her out before. Until today, she’d turned them down. But with Rafe, the more scandalous his behavior, the deeper she was drawn into his web.
Trembling, she stepped across the threshold into the inviting, expansive white-marble entryway.
He followed, closed the door, then turned the lock. A shiver feathered down her spine, one that had nothing to do with the air-conditioning and everything to do with the lethal heat that blazed in his eyes when he turned her to face him.
“I’m glad you’re here.”
“I’m—” Not knowing what to say, she broke off.
“Show me your thigh.”
So much for thinking he might give her some time to get settled.
He held out a hand for her purse. He placed it on a bench that might have been an old church pew.
When he regarded her with one raised eyebrow, she lifted her skirt. She was shocked when she didn’t see any abrasion from the thorn. Even though the scratch was imaginary, she could have shown him the exact path it had carved. Her clit throbbed still, from the phantom pain.
“You’ll have to do it harder next time.”
She wanted to. What did that say about her? Hope dropped the hem of her skirt and the material fluttered back into place.
“May I take your blazer?”
His switch from a sexual Dominant to courteous host tipped her world off-balance.
She shrugged out of her jacket, and he hung it in a coat closet near the door.
“Let me show you around so you’re comfortable.”
That wasn’t a word she would have chosen to describe being in his place.
“Your house is a surprise,” she said as they passed a black baby-grand piano.
“Is it?”
“I thought you might live in River Oaks or Tanglewood.” Or another of Houston’s pricey gated communities, even the Woodlands where he could have a sprawling estate. Instead, they’d ridden the elevator to the ninth-floor penthouse of a modern-looking condominium in Uptown. When they’d driven onto the property, they passed tennis courts, several swimming pools, and a running track. Though he’d left his car in the parking garage, there were numerous spaces outside, and there was a wooden portico covered with vines to create an inviting shaded gateway to the entrance of each of the complex’s three buildings.
“I didn’t see the point in getting a house since I don’t spend a lot of time at home. A condo requires much less maintenance. And I like the amenities.”
“Like the concierge?”
“It’s handy. It’s also close to bike trails. I can reach them without having to drive anywhere.”
The space was contemporary, with floor-to-ceiling windows. A balcony off the main living area had a seating area with oversize chairs, end tables, umbrellas, and, of course, a bicycle.
His fireplace mantel had no personal touches. The room was filled with decorator-inspired vases and art. Even his furniture was stark—black leather with no welcoming pillows.
On the other hand, the kitchen was a chef’s delight, with a pot filler over the six-burner stovetop. The vent was streamlined and gleamed.
“I’d offer you champagne, but that will have to wait until after your spanking.”
The way he spoke to her, as if it was inevitable, sent rockets of desire straight to her pussy. “Uhm. Okay. Why?”
“You need to be in full charge of your responses, and I need to be aware of you and your reactions to what we are doing. But I can offer you a club soda or mineral water.”
